I will come back for you
by Mill-Milloz
Summary: After escaping Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly Link only wants to get away from Ruto, but he soon finds that he may not want to leave her after all. A short and light Young Link x Ruto fic.
1. I Will Come Back for You

**A/N: Here is a little fic that I decided to write kind of out of nowhere. I know that it's not a popular couple but they have a good story that supports them. This is a very light Young Link x Ruto fanfic, I am contemplating doing a sequel with Adult Link and Ruto but I'll see how this goes first. It's not as detailed as I usually write, but I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ocarina of time.. I really really wish I did. **

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Link finally had gotten out of the giant whale, instantly trying to erase every memory of being inside Lord Jabu Jabu from his memory. The boy had been thrown into the water which he was not a fan of but anything was better then being inside the giant fish. Link looked around to find land and his eyes quickly spotted a nice little island which he began to move towards.

The hero made it to the land, letting out a sigh of relief as his feet were placed onto something he could stand on. The giant pool always freaked him out, not knowing what kind of creatures were lurking below. One creature in particular scared him more than any other. "Finally got away..." Link fell to his hands and knees on the ground and tried to catch his breath.

The zora princess, Ruto had been the worst part of Lord Jabu Jabu's belly without competition. Link didn't really mind Ruto herself but the way she begged to be carried through every room both exhausted the hero as well as slowed him down. By the time he got to Barinade Link could barely hold his own. Luckily he had a fairy on hand to save his life.

Link decided that he was safe, and so worked his way over to the small tree on the island and made the decision to sit against it. He could spare a few minutes before moving on to the Temple of Time, and rushing on with tired muscles would prove useless. "I really should go find Ruto... I still need the zora's sapphire"

As he muttered to himself Link didn't notice the looming threat that was bearing down on his position. While the hero could see perfectly fine above the water he was right in fearing way swam below it; Princess Ruto silently made her way to the back of the small island and slipped up onto the earth unnoticed.

She had promised Link the zora's sapphire but had not told him the catch, that he must agree to take her as his bride once he had reached maturity. And although the princess had set her plans for the future she wanted a bit of an early investment to make sure he wouldn't run away. By the time Link heard the zora's steps it was too late, he pushed off the tree and spun around to see the blue girl standing just steps away. She was still dripping wet, little droplets falling off the tips of her fins. "R-Ruto" Link stuttered as he looked for an escape plan.

However as his eyes searched frantically they became stuck on the object that the princess held. The zora's sapphire. Link realized that he would not get it until he gave the girl what she wanted, and he had to play it safe to make sure he didn't loose the chance. That sapphire after all was the sole reason he came here. Ruto stepped forward, a small smile playing on her lips and Link had to admit that when she wasn't whining and complaining or sitting on his head she could actually be pretty cute.

The zora princess then said something that Link wished he hadn't heard. "Hero, Link. You've saved me from Lord Jabu Jabu and defeated the monster that made him ill; so I will keep my promise and hand the zora's sapphire over to you." Sounded good so far. Link stepped forward to receive the sapphire when the princess held one hand up to stop him. "I should tell you though... The zora's Sapphire is an engagement stone. So if you want it you will have to marry me."

Link took a moment to process what he had just heard. Engagement? His vision moved down to the ground as he thought about what to do. He needed the sapphire to unlock the door of time. Link found his voice and stated quietly "Marriage? Ruto we're too young for that!" The boy looked up at the zora expecting her to be upset but the a sly smile still rested happily on her lips.

Ruto took another step toward the boy as he took a step back, she was getting frighteningly close. "Oh Link, I wasn't implying that you and I get married now Link, but once you're older. You've already proven that you can protect me so I have decided that I want you." The boy still looked like there was no way he would agree, but Ruto wasn't finished yet. "Link, I promise that I'm not always that needy. I just wanted to test you to see if you were a man worthy of my engagement stone."

Link nodded slowly, he seemed to believe what the princess was saying. Now that they were safe and out of Lord Jabu Jabu Ruto was acting normal and the hero didn't see anything wrong with her at all. Maybe marriage wouldn't be so bad. The chances that he would even live to marriage were slowly dwindling anyways.

Looking back up at the zora Link swallowed his argument and nodded softly. "Okay Ruto, I accept. Once I am an adult I'll take your hand in marriage." Ruto's smile grew to one of genuine happiness and the girl jumped at Link dropping the sapphire to the dirt. She threw her arms around Link's neck and he had to use a leg to brace himself from falling back as he caught her with his arms around her hips.

"Oh thank you Link! You won't regret it, I promise" Ruto let go of the boy and stepped away, but left her arm outreached towards him. Her smile had not faded, and Link could swear that he saw tears building in Ruto's eyes. He smiled softly, starting to believe that maybe it would be good. Ruto seemed to truly care for him and he was starting to care for her.

He reached out and held her hand, turning towards the large door to the King Zora's throne. He assumed that that's where Ruto wanted to go. She happily walked behind him, and Link decided that if he was going to go through with this he may as well try to like it. The two entered the water to swim over to the gate but as they reached the of the water edge Link stopped the zora. They were floating together where Ruto felt most comfortable, and she turned to face the boy.

"Link? What's wrong?" She asked timidly, obviously scared that the boy was having second thoughts. As Link looked over the zora he found that she was quite beautiful in the water. Her fins flowed freely keeping her afloat but it looked natural. She seemed to not even have to think about swimming while Link still sometimes struggled to stay afloat. Ruto's blue skin seemed to glow through the water as the sun reflected off it's surface.

Without replying directly to the princess's questions Link spoke; "Ruto, I want you to close your eyes for a second. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." The princess continued to bob in the water a few seconds before nodding and shutting her eyes. Her hand squeezed Link's a little tighter, scared that he would be gone when she opened her them.

However Link did not try to escape the zora. The boy took his free hand and moved it to Ruto's cheek, her shin was soft and cool. It felt good under his warm fingertips and he knew that he could get used to it. the zora's cheeks seemed to flush as he began to lean towards her, Link assumed that Ruto knew what would happen next. Before their lips met Link whispered quietly "I will come back for you."

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**A/N: I hope you liked it! I know it was a little short, if I do end up doing a sequal with the adult counterparts I'll make it longer. Anyways, please let me know what you think! I love reading reviews / PMs.**

**-Mill-Milloz Out!**


	2. The Promise Kept

**A/N: So, I decided to write a second chapter for my LinkxRuto fic! I'll probably be writing another 2-3 chapters as well. Sorry it's taken a while, I got busy with a lot of things :l this chapter is almost twice as long though so hopefully that makes up for it! :) I think this chapter came out better than the last so I'm goona go back and re-eddit chapter 1 some time in the next few days.**

**This chapter gets a little more romancy but there is still further to go! I'll try to get the next chapter up in the next week. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think through a review or PM**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Ocarina of Time..**

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Link let out a sigh of relief as he stepped into the water temple, after searching for a way in for what seemed to be hours the young man had figured it out and felt a wave of relief flow through him. "I'm one step closer. I'll find her soon Navi" He said confidently, shaking his limbs to try and dry off a little. He assumed that most of the Water Temple would involve just that; water, but still he liked the feeling of not being soaked for a few seconds. Even after all he'd been through the young man still did not enjoy being submerged in the liquid but he knew that he would have to get over it if his dreams of living with Ruto were to ever be attained.  
A bright flash of blue flew past the side of Link's head into his vision and he couldn't help but frown. Navi's wing looked slightly bent on one side which seemed to be causing the little fairy a fair deal of pain. It had been this way for the past couple days but she kept waving it off as nothing. "Link! We're finally here, you'll get to see her soon!" The fairy's high-pitch voice lifted Link's spirit as his lips moved back into a smile.  
Navi was right, the main reason that the Hero of Time wanted to complete the Water Temple was his hope that at the end of the temple; -just like the forest temple- he would rescue and free the Sage of Water. Although Link couldn't be positive whom the sage of water would be he had a pretty good guess. Ruto.  
"That's right Navi, I'll finally get to see her after all this time. I imagine it's been much harder on Ruto though, she had to wait through the seven years I passed in a flash." Link took his first steps into the temple happily, never had he been in such a rush to complete one of these giant puzzles. As he did though, Link heard a small squeak from behind. Navi sounded in pain; Link figured that the blue fairy's wing must be getting worse. He turned to the blue orb of light and reached out a hand, almost whispering "Come here Navi."  
The blue orb of light began to dim slowly as Navi floated forward, with the light gone Link could see that after each wing-stroke the little fairy would wince. She landed in the hero's hand, looking at his palm for a minute before finally directing her blue eyes upwards to match his. "I'm okay Link.. I know this looks bad but I'll be fine." Her eyes had begun to water, and Link's heart broke for her. Navi was always pushing herself to help the boy, even to the extent of flying in front of the fiery dragon Volvagia so that Link had a chance to get out of it's way.  
She had been a great guide and a great friend but the hero knew that if he let the fairy have her way she would work herself to death. Or give up her life to save the hero's as only a fairy could do. Link simply shook his head, the fairy was most definitely not fine. And he knew that it would be stupid for her to continue with him until she was better. "I'm sorry about this Navi, I truly am" He whispered as he pulled an empty bottle out of his tunic.  
The fairy's bright blue eyes widened and she attempted to get away but the glass bottle was brought down over her and Link quickly covered it. "Hey! Link!" Navi begun banging at the inside of the glass and yelling at him, but Link ignored her and walked over towards one of the blue walls. "Listen to me Link! This temple is not like the others! You need me!" At this Link raised a brow, how would the little fairy know anything about the dungeon. He assumed she was probably just making things up to be released.  
"Sorry Navi.." He whispered again before leaving the bottle on a nearby edge. He had no worry of her breaking out as nothing ever had before. "Fairies heal quickly but not when they're flying and stressing them selves out. You should be fine by the time I get back, I won't be long." And with that Link turned around to the pool of water leading deeper into the temple and quickly adjusted his fancy new blue tunic before jumping in.  
He was skeptical the first time he tried the blue zoran tunic but was starting to get used to it. Unlike the zora scales Link had used before by placing them on his neck to act as a gill to breathe underwater the zora tunic covered his body with thousands of tiny Zoran scales. The young man found it a little odd that he was breathing through his skin but figured that as long as it meant he could get through this temple in one piece he wouldn't complain.  
Once submerged the hero began to swim through a long blue tunnel, surprised that he had not yet encountered any dangers in the form of monsters. He kept swimming through the now dark tunnel for a couple minutes, knowing that without the blue tunic there would be no way that he could even start the temple. Eventually Link saw a light at the end of the tunnel and found that it opened into a massive Underwater hall, it must have been at least three stories high.  
There were objects floating around the new watery world that caused Link to look twice just to confirm he wasn't going crazy. Small metallic balls on the room's base and walls that would morph forms into rather scary looking spiky deathtraps; and man-sized clams with fierce looking teeth floating through the lower party of the open waters. Link assumed that like every other monster he had faced each one of them were just waiting to get a bit of him. There were strange fish swimming all around, none of which looked dangerous but in these temples Link had learnt to never doubt anything. The fish would scatter before coming close to the man, obviously seeing him as something foreign and therefore dangerous.  
Looking up towards the source of light the hero saw there were a few Tektites skimming the water's surface above him and he decided to start there where it might be dry. While swimming up the young man noted that in the centre of the massive underwater room was a large pillar covered in doors, Link didn't even want to think about what that was for yet. Just the thought of underwater puzzles made the hero want to get out of here as quickly as possible.

It had felt like hours had passed and yet Link had to admit to himself that he was getting nowhere; he'd found a few keys and unlocked a few doors/chests, but even while wielding the mighty compass and map the hero was helplessly lost. He would see rooms on the map that he couldn't find in reality, and the few rooms he found that actually seemed like they were going somewhere were impassable; his hook-shot couldn't reach the targets across their ridiculously long gaps. Link had also discovered that playing his ocarina in certain spots would cause the water to rise and fall, but this simply resulted in a never-ending loop of ups and downs.  
"Maybe I should have brought Navi along.." Link sighed and slumped against the wall and rand his hand through his blonde hair in frustration, he was currently on the top floor inside the pillar after having gone up and down multiple times. "I could have just tied her bottle to my belt... Oh well no use complaining now." He turned and twisted the doorknob of the top-floor door, stepping out into the massive hall once again.  
Without even thinking the young hero pulled out his bow and sniped the two Tektites for what seemed like the hundredth time, these spider-like monsters appeared to come back every time he left to another room of the damn temple. "How many times do I have to clear the same rooms!" He yelled, more out of anger than anything. The constant in and out of the water was driving him mad; cold and wet, warm and dry, and repeat.  
Link moved to sit on the edge of the small platform he was on, sighing as he pulled the ion boots out of his tunic and slipped them over his feet once again. He didn't even bother to look before pushing himself into the water, the hero knew that there was no danger on the way down to the bottom of the room. It was kind of nice actually, slowly sinking through the water. The lower he got though the colder the water was; at the bottom it felt rather cold against his exposed skin.  
Link pulled out his sword in one hand and hook-shot in the other, quickly doing away with the shiny spike-death balls as he hit the floor. They really seemed to hate the hook shot, one hit from it would cause them to shrink into their soft cocoons making them vulnerable. Link turned to move towards the large pillar in the middle of the room once again; determined to revel it's secrets when suddenly he heard something. Sounds underwater were usually blurred, with one exception. That was the voice of a Zora.  
"Get away from me you over-grown clam!" she yelled, causing Link to spin on his heels and find himself face-to-face with a wall. Had he just imagined it? was he truly going crazy in this temple of madness? Link waved it off as his mind screwing with him and begun back to his original path when the voice cut through the water again. It was unmistakably coming from the other side of the wall, and it was definitely her. "Why are you attacking me!?" she screamed, followed by some sounds of conflict.  
"Ruto!" Shouted Link, noting that speaking underwater came with an unpleasant mouthful of said water. Link instantly moved forward to press his ear against the wall; He could hear her fighting the 'oversized clam' on the other side and swallowed hard knowing that such creatures were rather dangerous. To kill them he had to sever the Fleshy tongue holding it's half-shells together but to do that you either had to get close to it's sharp teeth or use a ranged weapon. Link assumed that Ruto didn't have a ranged weapon. "Ruto hold on! I'm coming!" At this statement he heard a faint gasp, but had no idea how he would actually get to her.  
Looking back and forth Link saw no door, no passage way, nothing that would allow him to save the one he was here to see. Was it a trick? A puzzle or secret button that would open a hole in the wall? He didn't have time for that, Ruto needed him now. Suddenly it clicked, and without thinking Link pulled the megaton hammer out of his tunic, stepping back and winding it behind his head. He'd never thought of simply breaking his way through a dungeon before but he figured that the megaton hammer should prove sufficient enough.  
And he was right, once the legendary hammer hit the Water Temple's wall it broke straight through causing a massive hole in it's wake. Link charged in through the dust and at first couldn't see through the cloud he'd made but quickly found the massive clam creature and smashed it to bits with one swing screaming "Get away from her you monster!" Apparently simply destroying them worked as well as severing the tongue. Once the cloud faded into the water Link saw her, standing in the corner looking away. As Ruto turned to him, her look of fear morphed into one of confusion, and then a wide grin broke across her lips.  
The now adult Zoran woman had certainly changed, the curves of her naked body being show off un-hidden by clothing. Princess Ruto looked more beautiful than any other woman Link had seen in his life, even though she was a Zora Link couldn't help but feel his heart beat in his chest more so than it did for any Hylian woman. He didn't know what it was about her that attracted him so and caused his heart to beat so quickly, maybe it was the long beautiful fins extending from her forearms down to her feet or maybe it was the way that water reflected the light around the princess into a stunning glow.  
Rather quickly however Link realized what it was that made him react the way he had. He had never seen a naked woman before, Hylians always wore clothing and just the thought of being naked in front of another would cause awkwardness yet before him stood the girl he'd promised his life to completely naked and completely confident. Ruto didn't even try to hide her body, but did quite the opposite standing in a way that showed off her form. It didn't take long for Link's eyes to drift to the more feminine parts of the naked Zora, which he felt ashamed of and instantly looked away but this just earned a giggle from the one in front of him.  
"What's wrong Link?" Asked the princess, taking a step forward. Link slowly looked up at her large blue eyes and forced himself not to look down. "You've seen many naked Zora women, why avoid looking at me?" She teased and took another step closer; moving a hand up to touch the hero's face. He felt a wave of warmth pass through his cheek even in the cold water as he blushed, struggling to find the words he needed.  
"I- I just, I don't look at them the same way.. Ruto you're beautiful!" Link mentally face palmed himself, failing to find the proper words he wanted. Deciding to give up on words the hero moved a hand to the zora's side and pulled her a little closer, wishing that he could feel her body against his own. It was strange, as a boy the hero had never felt these urges but now in front of Ruto his body felt like it was on fire. He wanted more, and as the princess smiled softly he couldn't avoid looking to her lips.  
"You know Link," she whispered through the water clear as day; leaning in so that their lips were only a breath's distance away. "You aren't so bad yourself." The princess brought her free hand under the young man's jaw and pulled him closer so that their lips would meet. Kissing under water was a little strange to the hero but he found that it was a good strange rather quickly. The way their lips slipped against each other's satisfied Link's needs momentarily and the princess stepped back smiling. "You came back for me" she whispered once more, but Link heard it clear as day.  
Link nodded, smiling softly as he looked over the mature zora once more. "Yeah, I told you I would. After all I'd be a pretty crappy fiancé if I didn't come to save you." Link smiled happily and a massive grin grew across Ruto's face.  
"You haven't forgotten!" she yelled jumping at the boy while wrapping her arms around his neck. Link fell back under the force of the princess and the two landed on the floor of the temple, causing Link to laugh softly and wrap his arms around the Zora. "Even after seven years you still want to marry me!" At this comment Link's heart sank, he couldn't begin to imaging the pain Ruto had gone through. When he left her seven years ago he thought he was almost done his quest and would return to her shortly. Neither of them knew that he would disappear for seven years into the temple of time.  
"Of course I came back for you Ruto. After all.." Link left a small pause, he had thought a lot about his next words for almost the entire past month that he had taken to complete the forest and fire temples. Every day he would think about the zora princess and every day he would miss her until he came to the ultimate conclusion.. "I love you." As the two lay on the ground in the watery room Link remembered that it was just like last time when the princess had tackled him against the tree, even though she was an adult now Ruto was still the same Ruto that Link has admired as a child.  
Ruto smiled from her position on top of Link and smiled, leaning down to press her body against his own. "I love you too Link."

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**A/N: so, there you go! Chapter two of I Will Come Back for You. I hope you guys liked it, leave a review to let me know :)**

**I know that it was really just the end of the chapter that was LinkxRuto but next chapter will be the whole thing. I didn't just want to write a romance fic, I wanted it to still fit the game :)**

**-Mill-Milloz out!**


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